She does as she’s told, but she also cuts her eyes over to Riven.
“Where is this power at?” His lips twitch at the annoyance in her tone. He raises both his hands and wiggles all his fingers at her. “In my fingers? Of course. So what, V? You want me to create, or I guess grow a flower? How in the realm am I supposed to do that?”
“You’re not simply growing any ol’ flower. You can’t summon life or command the earth like an earth elemental would.”
What the hell is an earth elemental?
“You’re reconstructing a pattern that already existed. Think of it like this. Every object, creature, or plant has ametaphysical impression they leave on the realm. A memory of what it was or was meant to be, so to speak.
“When you accidentally destroyed the flower with Obliteration, you didn’t erase the soil’s memory of it. The pot still holds the echo of the flower’s pattern. Your Creation will allow you to call that pattern back into form, using the leftover matter.”
“You said I can’t summon life. That sounds a lot like I’m bringing the flower back to life. “
“You’re not bringing that exact flower back into existence. You’re reconstructing a new one from the remnants it left behind. It’ll be the same species but not the same flower. Feel for the root’s fragments in the soil.”
She sighs, but again, does as she’s told.
My brothers move in closer around her and we watch as the dirt on the surface shifts with the movements of her fingers. Her gasp has us all sucking in a breath.
“There’s like a twig. A tini-tiny little stick.”
“Good, Thayla. Close your eyes and focus on that twig. Call your power of Creation forth and allow it to do its thing. You guide it and it’ll guide the flower.”
Her breath fans through her lips and my brothers stare down at the pot. Their anticipation is heavy in the air, damn near distracting. I don’t focus on them long, though.
I watch her.
The worried lines ease from her forehead as she continues to take measured breaths. My soul strokes hers gently, encouragingly. I pull its stubborn ass back, and a small smile crosses her lips as she returns the sensation.
The energy around her transforms.
Her disappointment morphs into determination, and I hold my breath when it becomes glaringly obvious she releases her power.
It breezes across my skin, raising chill bumps along my arms. Although her lids are still shut, there’s a faint glow highlighting her lashes.
Riven squeals like a child when a bud follows her fingers out of the soil and startles her out of her concentration.
“Riven,” Amick, Kyzen, and I all bark at once.
“Fuck, my bad, Thayla. I saw the sprout and got excited.”
She sighs but not in the upset kind of way. It’s tender. Fond.
Her fingertip lightly brushes her creation.
“It’s okay, my little psycho. It’ll grow.” Her eyes widen as she peers at V. “It will grow, right? I didn’t stunt its growth by pulling my power back, did I?”
“No. With normal nourishment, like any plant, it’ll grow.”
A whoosh of relief pours out of her, and she grabs the pot as she pushes herself up. We stand right behind her.
“Let’s go find a place for our new plant at home,” she says as she walks away with a genuine smile on her face.
“Oh, what are we going to name it?” Riven asks as he falls in step beside her.
The two of them go back and forth, proposing the craziest fucking ideas for names I’ve ever heard while Kyzen, Amick, and I trail behind them.
“They’re two plants in a pot. Where do they come up with this shit?” Kyzen whispers with a chuckle.
